Investing in an outdoor kitchen will add utility, value and enjoyment to your Arizona backyard landscape design! When planning for your new backyard kitchen there are some factors to keep in mind.

LOCATION – The ideal location usually means a place that avoids main traffic flow yet is easily accessible. Also do you want the outdoor kitchen to be the “front & center” focal point of the landscape design or is it envisioned to complement your swimming pool, patio seating area or even a water/fire feature?

DESIGN – Outdoor kitchens can be made any way you want! They can be designed and constructed to match your home or they can be created to take on a specific theme your wanting to create in your backyard. The benefit of hiring a reputable design/build landscape company is you can have the confidence in them that will have the expertise and experience to help you bring your dream outdoor kitchen to a reality.

FEATURES – The backyard BBQ is just one of the many feature options you can have in your outdoor kitchen. Our outdoor kitchens range from having the high quality custom backyard BBQ to adding 5 additional features along with the BBQ. Some features homeowners are choosing in their outdoor kitchens are refrigerators, warming trays, sinks with running water, beverage cooler tubs and pizza ovens. You may choose to have your backyard kitchen open or covered with a pergola.

BUDGET – Your budget will need to be considered when planning for your outdoor kitchen. You can add or leave out any feature when you are working with a custom design/build landscape firm.

Beautiful Outdoor Kitchens in Arizona

Make sure you work with a landscape company that will work with you to create an outdoor kitchen to fit you and your lifestyle. One of the best things about having an outdoor kitchen in Arizona is that it can be used and enjoyed year round!!

A built-in BBQ is the centerpiece for Arizona outdoor kitchens. It’s a key factor in outdoor entertainment. Whether you plan to use your grill for nightly dinners or entertain for a group of 30 outdoors, choosing the right backyard BBQ for your needs in important.

1) Deciding On The Correct Size: First things first, where will your outdoor BBQ be located? A smaller enclosed patio will need a grill that conserves space, while a larger , open area can make use of a much bigger grill. The amount of food you plan to cook is equally important when deciding on the size. Make sure you choose a grill size large enough to accommodate your outdoor cooking needs.

2) Choosing the Right Features: There are many different features that can contribute to your outdoor grilling. Before getting overwhelmed with all of them, decide what features you would like to have the most.

3) Finding Your Perfect Look: Arizona BBQ grills for your Phoenix landscape design should compliment the overall style of your outdoor living space, as well as your home. You want to select a color, finish and style that suits your design.

Dream Retreats is an Arizona professional landscape contractor where each outdoor kitchen is specifically designed and built for your outdoor space and specific style. We custom build with masonry materials each outdoor kitchen.

The 4th of July often means outdoor cooking! Entertaining in Arizona backyard landscapes is a popular choice for many people during the summer months. Along with scorching temperatures come an increase in food-borne illnesses. There are a few safety precautions to keep in mind before entertaining in your arizona landscaping.

CLEAN – Always wash your hands with soap and water before and after handling food. If you don’t have water, hand sanitizer is better than nothing. Also make sure surfaces that food is touching are clean.

COOK – Make sure food is cooked at a high enough temperature to kill bacteria. Using a food thermometer is the best way to ensure that food has been cooked safely.

SEPARATE – We know to keep raw food separate from cooked food to eliminate contamination. But it’s easy to overlook keeping separate tongs and utensils for raw and cooked foods which is also important to keep food illness away!

CHILL – While having fun entertaining and socializing it’s often easy to forget about food being left out too long. Heat and moist food breed bacteria fast! If temperatures are above 100 degrees, which is usual in Arizona, food shouldn’t be out any longer than 1 hour.

Outdoor Kitchens Arizona

Hanging by the pool and outdoor cooking are a great way to stay cool and have fun with family and friends despite our hot temperatures. Keep in mind that your food needs to stay cool too!!

5. Oil the meat. Oil on the grate will burn off so brush a light coat of oil on the steak.

6. Place steak on grill and close the lid for one minute.

7. Lift lid and turn steak over. Close lid and continue grilling for another minute.

8. Turn again and continue for 2 plus 1 minute per 1/2 inch (1 1/2 inch equals 3 minutes). These times are, of course, estimates. Depending on your grill and other conditions it might take less or more time. This is where experience comes into play.

9. Turn for the fourth time and continue grilling for 2 plus 1 minute per 1/2 inch.

10. Check for doneness with a meat thermometer.

11. Let steak rest for 5 minutes before carving or serving.

Tip: Letting the steak rest before you eat it is an important trick. This allows the juices to seep throughout the meat and gives you a much more flavorful steak.

Arizona backyard kitchens continue to be a mainstay in landscape designs throughout the Phoenix area. Once only found in the most upscale backyards in Arizona, backyard kitchens are now considered an esstential element for anyone wanting to create a year round outdoor living space. Futhermore, a custom built
backyard kitchen will not only add beauty and functionality to your backyard
landscape but will also add value to your home. An Arizona backyard kitchen ranks among the highest priorities for resale homebuyers.

Arizona Outdoor Kitchen by Dream Retreats

There are a number of options for construction materials and methods as well as equipment and accessories, so I have boiled it down to the best construction choices and most esstential elements when considering building a outdoor backyard kitchen.

First and foremost, I recommend having your outdoor kitchen custom
built, onsite, using masonry material and construction methods. Although
there are a number of bbq stores out there offering pre- built bbq units
made from galvanized 2”x4”’s and pressboard nothing can match the quality and feel, not to mention the customization options possible with masonry
construction. In addition the myth of portability of the pre built units (meaning you can take it with you if you move) is just that, a myth, unless you want to rent a crane! There are endless options for finishing materials from natural stone veneer to granite tile countertops. Perhaps the best thing about a custom built masonry backyard kitchen is it will last a lifetime and cost no more than the prebuilt unit that can start falling apart after a few years of Arizona sun, heat and monsoons.

Arizona Backyard Kitchen by Dream Retreats

When it comes to equipment stainless steel is king in the Phoenix area. Two of the finest bbq units available in Arizona are the lines from Fire Magic and American Outdoor Grill. They are 100% made in America, come with great warranties and have local service people if anything goes wrong (although I haven’t had one bad unit or any complaints in the past 12 years) Beyond the bbq the options are endless from side burners to bartending units you can customize your Arizona backyard kitchen to meet your lifestyle and budget.

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